If the Boston Red Sox were to make any sort of offseason trade, parting with one of their many outfielders would make sense. Boston needs to add starting pitching in the worst way, and they have a ton of MLB-ready outfielders.
The most logical one to part with would be Alex Verdugo who is coming off a solid season and is entering his final year of team control. The problem is, Verdugo's impending free agency status makes his value much lower than a guy with team control. If Boston really wants to make a big move, parting ways with one of their controllable outfielders would net them a much larger return.
The options that fit this criteria would be Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Jarren Duran. According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic (subscription required), Duran could be a guy Boston looks to ship away.
Red Sox trading Jarren Duran only makes sense if they receive a difference-maker in return
Of the outfielders the Red Sox would realistically trade (not Masataka Yoshida), Duran is the one who would likely have the most value. He won't enter arbitration until 2026 and is under team control through the 2028 season. Additionally, he's coming off an outstanding year in 2023 where he showed he can be a legitimate MLB regular.
The 27-year-old slashed .295/.346/.482 with eight home runs and 40 RBI in 105 games this season. He earned an everyday role in mid-April after Adam Duvall hit the Injured List and never gave it up. He tacked on 34 doubles and stole 24 bases in 26 tries. His defense wasn't eye-popping, but his bat took off in a huge way.
Duran did end his season hitting .192 in 17 August games before being shut down with a toe injury, but he did more than enough to display a ton of value not only to the Red Sox, but potential teams around the league interested in adding a young left-handed hitting outfielder.
Duran having most of a season where he hit at a high level combined with the team control he has makes him a very intriguing trade asset. The Red Sox need pitching help badly, and trading Duran to get a controllable arm does make a ton of sense with Boston having depth at the outfield position.
McCarthy doesn't say whether a deal is likely or even if Boston is considering it, but there are plenty of reasons to believe they would and should trade him as they try and get back to the postseason in 2024.
